So here we go again! Another prediction for Marquette County of an impending blizzard that didn’t happen. This has to be one of the oddest winters on record. While areas to the south in Lower Michigan, Wisconsin and even Illinois have been pummeled with record-setting amounts of snow his season, those of us right here in Marquette have had to deal with very little overall snowfall.

Usually, the tables are turned and those visiting Marquette are amazed and bewildered by the usual amounts of snow that we seem to almost take for granted. Not having those snows this year has also shown why we actually need them. Many businesses, from hotels to outdoor gear and supply shops, have struggled due to the decline of customers coming to Marquette.

Think about it. The average group coming to Marquette County to enjoy winter recreation either has four or five people, packed in a big ol’ SUV with a trailer packed with snowmobiles. You know they spending at least one hundred dollars each per day on lodging, food, fuel and the various souvenirs. Or for those who enjoy the silent sports, there’s more than a few Subaru wagons with a full roof rack of skis and gear and three or four skiiers who need places to sleep and food and drink to enjoy. That’s money coming into Marquette County, kids!

Take that away due to poor weather.

Suddenly, those of us who live here year ’round and depend on the business the visitors bring into our coffers are looking at troubling balance sheets. Not good. Times are tough enough around these parts and having a weak winter is not a helpful thing. So, as much as I grouse about the snow when comes and complain about winter hanging on, we need the snow and the cold.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette joined Mark and Walt in the Morning to discuss the milestone of collecting over 100 million dollars in delinquent child support money. The Attorney General’s Child Support Division was created in 2003 to combat the problem of unpaid child support. Over the past eight years the Division has seen impressive results as it fights to obtain compliance with child support orders.

Since 2003, Attorney General Bill Schuette’s Child Support Division has collected over $100 Million which has directly impacted the lives of 8,600 children.

To listen to the interview with Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, please click “HERE“. To log on to the State of Michigan AG site, please click “HERE“.

It’s April 18-th. I certainly think that we can put the snow away by now. Apparently Mother Nature does not agree. About four inches of snow yesterday and another inch or so overnight. I don’t really know what kind of May flowers these showers are going to bring, but the sooner the snow is gone, the happier I’ll be!!

AN UPDATE WITH SENATOR TOM CASPERSON.

STATE SENATOR TOM CASPERSON (R-ESCANABA)

State Senator of the 38-th District, Tom Casperson, called in this morning to discuss a town hall meeting he is hosting tonight (Monday, May 18-th) at the Marquette County Courthouse on West Baraga in Marquette. The session is open to all concerned and interested constituents and residents and will run from 6-pm to 8-pm.

Senator Casperson outlined items he feels will be discussed at this event as well as issues that have been brought up to him by those attending several other town hall meetings held recently in the district.

To listen to the complete interview with Senator Casperson, please click “HERE“. To visit his official website in the State Senate to leave your comments and concerns, please click “HERE“.

THE NEGAUNEE MALE CHORUS IS PUTTIN’ ON A SHOW!

BILL SCHRANDT AND GARY PENHALE.

Bill Schrandt and Gary Penhale, members of the Negaunee Male Chorus, stopped by the studios today to preview a special concert they have coming up soon. The Chorus is presenting their Spring 2011 Concert on Saturday, May 30th at the W.C. Peterson Auditorium in Ishpeming.

The theme of the concert is “Upper Peninsula Rhapsody” and will feature musical performances that capture and embody the Yooper spirit.

You can listen to the full interview with Bill and Gary by clicking “HERE“. You can click “HERE” to log on to Facebook and connect with the Negaunee Male Chorus page.

YOUR INTREPID HOSTS, MARK AND WALT, SEEN RECENTLY OUT ON ST. PATTY'S DAY.

Sometimes the ol’ Mark and Walt in the Morning show is a fully packed deal. Sometimes it isn’t. Today was filled to the gills!! Of course, that’s the way we like it around here. Triple-booked and stuffed with information.

In fact, the whole week has been pretty busy around these parts. in one week, we’ve covered food drives, labor rallies, Easter church services, veterans affairs, economic and educational programs and a whole lot more!

Whew!! No wonder Friday feels so darn good this time around!

PROJECT ISHPEMING FOOD PANTRY ROLLS ON!

DICK DERBY.

Dick Derby, organizer of the Project Ishpeming Food Pantry, called in with an update on the effort. He talked about the distribution of 4000 bags earlier this week in the Ishpeming and west Ishpeming areas. The second half of the effort happens tomorrow. Starting at 10-am, volunteers will be traversing the streets, picking up the bags, which will be filled by community members with non-perishable food items, paper products and toiletries.

Those items will then be taken to the Ishpeming Salvation Army and the Ishpeming St. Vincent DePaul and will be split between the two agencies for distribution for the needy in the community.

Tom Baldini, immediate past president of the Economic Club of Marquette County, joined us today to preview the next speaker coming to Marquette. The dinner will be held this Monday at 6-pm at the Ramada Inn in Marquette and will two speakers. They are Sam Watson and Peter Schonfield with the Michigan Hospital Association.

The dinner will be the final one for the season, but there is still time to register to attend. It must be done, however, by this evening! To listen to the interview with Tom, please click “HERE“. To log on to the Economic Club of Marquette County’s website, please click “HERE“.

A VERY UNIQUE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AT NORTH STAR ACADEMY.

CEO AND SUPERINTENDENT KAREN ANDERSON.

Karen Anderson, CEO and Superintendent at North Star Academy in Marquette visited the studios today to discuss an innovative and unique learning opportunity aimed at area seventh graders. The program will get kids out of the classroom and give them a chance to “get their hands dirty” by doing a project outside of the school facility.

There are a handful of slots left in the class for any interested seventh graders to get involved, and you can click “HERE” to listen to the interview to find out more information. To visit the North Star Academy website, please click “HERE“.

LET’S HIT THE WEEKEND!

Wow! That’s one packed show! Now, I believe it’s time for the weekend and time to relax! So as I always say,

Well gang, Thursday it is. It’s not bad, but it’s just not Friday. I know for some of you, that statement is achingly obvious, but for others – -you get what I’m saying. As we always say on the show, “So Happy It’s Thursday”. Of course, we really mean the acronym for that saying, but you get the drift.

Anyway, so be it. It may be kind of a “MEH” day today, the show was jam-packed with fun and interesting guests and topics, so lets get on with it!

GETTING READY FOR THE EASTER HOLIDAY.

PASTOR DAVE VAN KLEY.

Pastor Dave Van Kley from Messiah Lutheran Church visited the Sunny Studios to discuss what church has in store for the approaching Easter holiday and corresponding days of reverence on the christian calendar. Pastor Van Kley outlined several services and activities being hosted by Messiah Lutheran and invited all who wish to join in and worship to come on by and get involved.

To listen to the interview with Pastor Van Kley, please click “HERE“. To visit the church’s website, please click “HERE“.

TALKING VETERAN’S AFFAIRS WITH JASON ALLEN.

SENIOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR JASON ALLEN.

Former State Senator Jason Allen, who is now the Senior Deputy Director for Veterans Affairs in the State of Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, joined Mark and Walt to discuss the 20th anniversary of the end of the first desert war in Iraq. He also chatted about services for veterans in the State of Michigan and how the effort is underway to simultaneously increase awareness about those services and streamline access to them.

To listen to the comments of Jason Allen, please click “HERE” to play the interview. To log on to the State of Michigan Veterans Affairs website, please click “HERE“.

FRIDAY COMES TOMORROW!

So that wraps up another riveting and thrilling online edition of Mark & Walt in the Morning. Tune in tomorrow for the Friday edition of this fine online blast!

Here it is! The middle of the week! Wednesday. We say “WENZ-dayh“, but we spell it “wed-nes-day“. That seems odd. So I started to wonder what the origin of the word was, and this is what I found out from Wikipedia:

Wednesday is a day of the week in the Gregorian calendar. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday. The name is derived from Old English Wōdnesdæg and Middle English Wednesdei, “day of Wodanaz“, ultimately a calque of dies Mercurii “day of Mercury”

So that should explain it. Right? Oh well, on to our guests!

“Y” WEDNESDAY ONCE AGAIN!

THE YMCA'S LISA COOMBS-GEROU.

Lisa Coombs-Gerou stopped in to talk about things happening at the YMCA of Marquette County. The big push that’s on right now has to do with the “Strong Kids” Campaign. This fund raising effort generates money that will be used by the YMCA to give scholarships to needy youth in our community to cover their fees for using the various facilities at the Y. This gives community youth the chance to use the Y to better themselves physically and mentally that may never have been able to do so. This results in the aforementioned “Strong Kids”.

To hear more about the campaign, please click “HERE” to listen to the interview with Lisa. To log on to the YMCA of Marquette County’s website, please click “HERE“.

CATCH THE VISION IN MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP THIS WEEKEND!

RANDY GIRARD, MARQUETEE TOWNSHIP MANAGER

Randy Girard, Marquette Township Manager, visited the studio today to preview this weekend’s “Catch The Vision” showcase at the Vandenboom School in Marquette Township. He outlined the planned schedule for the evening as well as what matters will be discussed by Township officials in attendance. Girard also listed the hours of the event and where tickets (which are going fast) are still available for the event.

To listen to the interview and find out more about this special evening, please click “HERE“. To log on to the Marquette Township website, please click “HERE“.

Mike Thibault, Chairman of the Marquette County Labor Council, stopped by the Great Lakes Radio studios to chat with Mark and Walt about a community rally being held in Marquette this week. The rally is being held on the steps of the Marquette County Courthouse on Wednesday evening.

The rally is open to all who are currently taking issue with the budget proposal being put forth by Governor Rick Snyder and the State Legislature. To find out more about the rally and how you can take part, please click “HERE” to listen to Mike’s interview. For more about the Marquette County Labor Council, please click “HERE“.

A COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE IN ISHPEMING.

FOOD DRIVE ORGANIZER DICK DERBY.

Long time friend of the program, Dick Derby, joined Mark and Walt to highlight a special food drive being co-ordinated in Ishpeming and West Ishpeming this week and weekend. Project Ishpeming Food Pantry is distributing bags in Ishpeming and West Ishpeming this Wednesday. The goal is to get the bags filled with non-perishable food items, paper products and toiletries.

The bags, filled with items, will then be picked up on this Saturday and will be taken to the Salvation Army and St. Vincent DePaul stores in Ishpeming to be distributed to the needy on the West End of Marquette County. To listen to the interview and find out more about this effort, please click “HERE“.

OK, so that’s not so funny after all, but it was good to have the happy wanderer back on the program today after his globe-trotting adventures. As he told us, England was grand and the trip was fun, but he truly fell in love with Edinburgh, Scotland. He says he wants to go back. Some time THIS year! That’s saying something! Mr. Grumpy usually doesn’t care for long trips, but there must be something over there that captured his heart. Well, good for him!

A TRIP TO LOCH NESS WAS “NESSIE”-SARY!

"NESSIE" OUT FOR A COUNTERTOP SWIM!

A special thank you to my traveling compatriot who brought me some souvenirs of his journey to the infamous Loch Ness. A table-top Nessie to take home and a stuffed Nessie for the office. I always like gifts and these did not disappoint. Now he’s back and I have new toys.

Dr Kevin Piggott, medical director of the Marquette County Health Department joined Mark and Walt recently to discuss the findings of a recent study taking a look at the many factors that make up healthful living in Marquette County and the rest of the State of Michigan.

Dr. Piggott shared the criteria that was being looked at in the study as well as how it was applied to come to the results. To listen to the interview with Dr, Piggott, please click “HERE“. To see more of the results and to find out more about the survey, please click “HERE“